Shock-absorber.



Patented Feb. 24, 1914.

Lum-

ITHIEL G. RICHARDS, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

SHOCK-ABSORBER.

nosaaao.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 24; 1914.

appneation mea May a9, 1913. serial Ne. 770,772.

To all lwhom t may concern `Be it known that I,.L`[THIEL C. RICHARDS, acitizen ofthe United States, residing at Los'Angeles, in the countyofLos Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and usefulShock-Absorber, of which the following is a specification.

This invention' relates to thatv class of shock absorbers in whichmechanism is are ranged to allow an automobile ,frame and axle to movetoward each other freely, but to movev from each other against comparatively great' resist-ance. When a vehicle having such shock absorbersstrikes la rock on4 the road the axles move up readily and compress thesprings toward 'the cle frame and axle. Fig. 2 is an enlarged.

fragmental elevation, partly in section and viewed from the irregularline m2, Fig. 4. Parts are vbroken to expose interior construction. Fig.3 is a plan view of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on line m4,Fig', 2. Fig. 5 is a reduced fragmental plan view showing the forkedmember detached and secured upon the axle.

The shock absorber embodying my invention isshown as applied .to anautomobile-- Fig. 1.

1 designates a portion of the automobile .frameand 2 aportion of one ofthe,` ordinary"'springs, the latte/r being secured to theaxle 3 in anyapproved manner. Two

circular non-rotatable. sideplates 4 and 5,'

Fig. 4, are carried on the legs 6 and 'i' of the forked member 8, Figs.1 and 3. This forked'member may be formedby riveting or boltingA thelegs6 and 7 toa block 9, which block in Aturn provided with theclampingmeans k10, Fig. 1, for securing the plates 4and 5 and the hollowforked memberto the axle 3. In viewof the mounting just described theplates 4 and 5 may, of course, be moved toward or away fromieach other,the motionbeing eifected by springframe.. When the spring next attemptsto expand" `away from theframe, the shock absorber ing the legs 6 .and7. The purpose of this motion and the means for enforcing it will bedescribed below. An arbor 11 passed through said plates and has a head12 at one end and a screw-threaded portion 13 at the other end. Thearbor passes through the hexagonal aperture 14, Fig.' 4, in the plate 4,vand at the portion which is adapted to register with said aperture saidarbor is also made hexagonal so as to cause it to be non-rotatablerelative to the plates.

A rotatable member 16 is mounted between the plates and around thearbor. This member has slots 17, Figs. 2 and 4, cut at intervals intoits internal periphery. The arbor kalso has slots 18 cut into itsexternal periphery. `Within the chamber which is bounded by the plates4, 5 and the rotatable member 16, and coperating with slots 17 and 18just described are two sets of friction disks 19 and 420, Fig. 2, thesedisks being alternately placed with respect to each other as shown inFig. 4. The rst of these sets of disks 19 is provided with projections21, Fig. 2, adapted to register with slots 17 so as to operativelyconnect the disks -to the rotatable member 16. At

their central portions the disks in this setl are provided with circularapertures 22 which embrace the' adjacent cylindrical portion of thearbor. On the other hand, the second set of disks 2O is provided withinwardly-extending projections 23 adapted to register with slots 18 soasto operatively 'connect these disks to the arbor 11.

In the structure just described it will be clear that the set of disks19`wou'ld rotate with the rotatable member 16, while the set of disks 20would remain fixed in position on the relatively stationary arbor 11.These two sets of disks, therefore, though somewhat loose inalongitudinal direction, would bear upon each other frictionally as theaforesaid rotation occurs, and this frictional engagement is veryimportant in the applicants construction. It is 'magnified and madeeiieotive. however, by providing spring means 1n the form of dish-shapedsprings 24 and'25 between the plates 4 and gether the springs 24 and 25would be furso as to retain' thespringszon '55 `,around the member thercompressed so as to increase the pressure between the disks and toincrease the draggingfor braking effect onLmember 16. Schlnotion'oftheplates' may be effected 5 bymeans of av suitable nut 26 which can be:screwed along-tlfie Ythreaded portion `13'"of the arbor, and alock nut27 mayv also be provided for locking the nut 26.

E012 the'purpose of completing the main' importiert ofz the'shock-absorber a lclutch member 28 is provided, and .this member is`adapted to rotate freely in one direction, but Vis adapted to engagetherotatable` lmember v16 when -,theelutch member is rotated in theotlier direction.A vThis member 2 8 is shown inl the form of nan'annularbandl which may be t ,slippedaroundthe rotatable member 16, and

.l whih is heldin place by the shoulder ,29,

4, onone side,Y and by the detachable re- 20 taining ringr30 on theother yside.

i' able clutching .means arrest the rotation in one direction and causemember 28 toenbers 32. yHard steel balls33 operate in these chambers andcoperate 'with member r28 on the one hand and member 16 on .the otherhand so as l to produce the we elLknown ball clutch effect. The springs34 Ygli()rm'all'y urge the ball home to its clutching 35,' .position andthe caps 35 are screwed inplace the balll and so s to `makethe chamber32 substantially dust ght. The member 28 has an arm 36, Fig. 1, l fadasuitable' connection in the yform of a 4Q..,l ball and lsocket joint 37connects said arm and thereby Icompletes the shock absorber connection.Lbetween saidl Yframe and the 4a spring.' gndaglefgband 3, respectively.

' r'olnlthe. fore-going description the genv"eral operatiqnfofftheabsorber will be. ap-

parent. When the automobile strikes some `v irregularity,like a, rock intheroad, the

'SQQspring 2 will becompressed upward toward lthe frame'1," th uscarrying the axle 3 toward the frame! During thismuch' ofthe action theclutch member vthefdirection ofarrowma, Figs. 1 and 2,

` over'vith, however, the spring 2 will strive toexpand. away from theframe, and if left to; itself it would not only do so rapidlybut wpfuld,set up a vibrating, or tossing action 69 between the axle and frame,which would unnecessarily bounce the passengers in -the automobile.Allthis is avoided when my r shock absorber is used, because when spring2 starts to expand away from frame l clutch Ofl itself the 'member'. 28wouldbel free to rotate-in `i 'f either direction around member 16, butsuitturn isv suitably `1 connectedltothe vehicle frame 1. as at 39,

2 8 will rotate freely in '16. After the shock is mounted so that theymay or away from each other,

member 28 is rotated in the direction of arrows b, Figs. 1 and 2. Thiscauses balls 33 tto operatively.clutch'memhers 2,8' and 16 together, sothat member 16 together with fr1ction disks 19 rotate in direction Z).This rotatiem-however, is diflicult, and labors against the braking ordragging friction between friction plates 19 and 20. "These plates areforcibly pressed together by springs 24 and 25, andthe friction producedpermits'disks 19to rotate slowly. Obviously, this will react throughlink 88 so as only to permit spring 2, and axle 3to expand `away slowlyAfrom the `frame l. `Itis well 4known that such adragging action willdampen any vibrating tendency lbetween the springendl the frame andthe'bouncingv of the passengers is ,thereby eliminated.I 4 A Overaidfabove the general improvement in Ishock @absorbers whichA vthisinvention makes possible, it should benoticed that the `constructionabove described is @Specially rugged compact, -foolfproof and cheap -tomanufacture. This is very important, owing chiefly to the severeVconditions. under .which shock. absorbers operate,- audit;k is impera-,tive to the success of such devices that,.the

probabilityl of breakage and ynecessityl of repairv be reduced to aminimum... Vith this in mind it should be noticedl that the; applicant ahas made every effort toproperly relate and inclose theimportantelements and to reduce.

A the operative partsto a minimumI Inaddition to inclosing the bal'ls33in. adust tight chamber, the applicantv has also provided. an

ingenious dust tight chamber within which the plates 19 and 20 .andtesprings A24' and.' may operate. This chamberismadesub- Vstantiallyydusttight by having the inwardly extending annular flanges 40 vand41,011 the plates 4 and 5, respectively, and `by having the cylindricalportions42 and 43 on the rof tatable ,memberA 1,6 respectively adaptedto coperate with rims 40 .and `41'so as to close up the chamber ascompletelyas is practical.

With the construction shown it is Vclear that the plates 4 and 5 may,still be ward or away from each other so as to adjust the tension ofthe springs 24 and 25, and that this motion will not in the leastlimpair the dust proof feature just described.

I claim moved to:Y

, 1 In a shock absorber, the combination ofitwo non-rotatable plates,said plates being be, moved toward an arbor` passing through said platesand said arbor beingVv non-rotatable 'relative to said plates, alrotaother, one set being ,connectedto said arborand the other set beingconnected to said rotatable member, spring meansfo'r causlng extendingannular rims near is rotated in the other direction.

2. ln a shock absorber, the combination of two non-rotatable platesmounted so that said plates maybe moved toward or away from each other,said plates having inwardly I their outer peripheries, an arbor passingplates, said arbor being non-rotatable relative to said plates, ayrotatable member mounted between said plates and around said arbor, saidrotatable member having cylindrical portions adapted to coperatewithsaid rims on the plates so as to form a substantially dust-proofchamber bounded by said plates and said rotatable member, two sets offriction disks in said chamber, said disks being placed alternately withrespect to each other, one set being connected to said arbor'and theother set being connected to said rotatable member, spring means in saidchamber and adapted to cause said friction disks to press upon eachother, means for causing the first said plates to move toward each otherand for adjusting said spring means so as to increase the pressurebetween` said friction disks; and a clutch member adapted to rotatefreely in one direction but adapted to engage said rotatable disks beingalternately through saidv member when said clutch member is rotated inthe other direction.

3. In a shock absorber, the combination of two non-rotatable plates,said plates being substantially parallel to each other and bein carriedon the legs of aforked member, said plates being movable toward or awayfromveach other, an arbor passing through said plates, said arbor beingnon-rotatable relative to said plates, a rotatable member mountedbetween said plates and-around said arbor, two sets of friction disks,said placed with respect to each other, one set being connected to saidarbor and the other set being connected to said rotatable member, twodish-shaped springs mounted between said plates and on opposite sides ofthe sets of friction disks, said springs being adapted to cause saidfriction disks to press against each other, means for causing saidplates to move -toward each other and for adjusting said springs so asto increase the pressure between the friction disks, and a frictionclutch member which is free to rotate in one direction but which isadapted to engage said rotatable member whenv said clutch member isrotated in the other direction.

In testimony whereof, 1 have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles,lCalifornia, this 23d day of May, 1913.

ITHIEL C, RICHARDS..

In presence of JAMES R. TowNsnND, ROBERT A. STEPS.

